Inspire Me Thursday - Fun & Games

Hola!

With many projects going on at once - forcing me to multi-task; I wasn't able to participate with IMT for a little while. So I'm really glad to be back to participate with this week's topic - Fun and Games.

So this is actually my idea of fun. Part of the reason for creating this art is that I am manifesting my little dream cottage studio for a cottage industrialist. Lots of fun and games will be going on inside this dream studio. I am having fun choosing the colors for the outside sample - imagine what the inside will look like! For my sample I chose shades of lime, chartreuse, cream, sky blue and purple.

Truth be told I really am keeping my eyes open for a craftsman home with all the details I drew; so that I can do a complete reno and paint it funky colors. Now in some parts of Raleigh I think the preservation committee would have a wee problem with my color palette. So I'd have to go with a more subdued traditional color on the outside and express my creative side on the inside.

So much fun.

Enjoy.

Lise

playing with imagery...

http://www.myheritage.com

zid zid kids Table and Cushion Sets

Cute table ideas for creative kids rooms

zid zid kids Table and Cushion Sets

Postcards from the Past

This past week I picked up a couple of good books I'd like to recommend. The first is called Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino. The second is Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin.

Visual Chronicles inspired me to create a quick postcard instead of sending an email to my sister Toni. (I used a small picture of the postcard below to cut down on the jokes about 80's hair, goofy teenage phases, or braces.)



Anyway - to get me to give up email lately is like pulling teeth, but I really liked how Linda and Karen approach creative journaling - they inspired me when they said:

The real news of our lives is not in newspapers. We must chronicle our own adventures and achievements, our brilliant observations and our comic relief, our best friends and our greatest embarrassments.

Bravo ladies.

So, the postcard is not nearly perfect, it didn't take me the balance of the day to create, but instead of buying a card at the store complete with another person's sentiments - I included memories of our high school years. (those I could still remember) - and I'll send it on Monday with a bit of love.

In our next newsletter, I'll share all the materials I used to make it. What? You haven't subscribed?

Subscribe to the newsletter to make sure you get our current issue... The box is on the upper right hand side.

Now... Artist Trading Card Workshop is chock full of eye candy. Like a postcard, the artist trading cards are small, and can be created fairly quickly. The thing I like about this book is that it has detailed techniques that I have not found in other books I've purchased recently. In fact, you can use many of the techniques in larger art pieces - not just for ATC's.

Well that's about it for me tonight.. I'm off to bed!

Have a wonderfully creative Sunday!!!

Lise

Links to books I mentioned:


Visual Chronicles

Artist Trading Card Workshop

Checking In - Backyard Gardens, Studio Spaces, & Teaching Opportunities

Ok, so I'm still unpacking and my cousin Melanie calls and (see picture) offered to help me hack down the underbrush in my new backyard. I told her I was not looking forward to doing this in the Spring. So Mel gets star treatment this week for that offer! Thanks Mel! I just love her!

The next thing on my list of things to unpack are all my paints, my easel and fabrics. Since my daughter announced today that she needs some fabric for her apparel development class at her new school I must make a new trek upstairs to my attic to hunt for the fabric box.. even though I hadn't planned to do any sewing in the very near future -

I have a new intriguing dilemma. My favorite room in the house has carpet. I'd rather not ruin the carpet in the bonus room with flying paint - but it has the best feeling in the afternoon sun. So I'm still debating on where to situate my creativity room/studio. My oldest son Chris is leaving for college in a few months - so I may convert his room to my studio. It faces the same direction as the 'bonus' room... hmmm that's a thought! Or I can go ahead and convert the entire attic - but all that storage space....

Another dear friend asked what happened to my local teaching plans. With the entire relocation I put everything on hold - but I've sent off a few emails just this evening to local places - I hope to resume my plans shortly and will keep you posted on this as the dates and times firm up. Thanks for the inspiration!

Be Creative!

Lise

Style Points: Forts and other Play Spaces

When I was much younger, I spent most of my time outdoors running and racing. I was a real tomboy. My friends and I stayed out at night until the dinner bell rang throughout the neighborhood. We played really juvenile neighborhood games, built tree forts, and sometimes played a random game of tetherball. I can remember spending the most time on the fort. In fact, the fort building lasted for multiple years, until a group of boys decided to claim our home base. (imagine that!) For many hours during those years we would drag wood and other scraps over to our tree to build another stage of our project. It wasn't the Taj Mahal, but we were fiercely proud of our outdoor getaway. Unknowingly, we were fulfilling what I believe is a basic human desire, to be creative. And we were. We created a magical place for us to play and dream, all out of building scraps and other found objects.

My wish is that every child (and adult) take the time to build a play space from their own imagination. Preferably outside in the fresh air and wide open spaces where they can play scavenger, pirate, hunter and protector of the fort; for years on end.

Our fort was of course, the girls-only variety. Our hideaway. We would venture out, tease the boys, run back, climb up the 40 foot tree, pull up the rope and laugh ourselves silly. Hmm. I could use a bit more of this type of adventure in my life today.

Anyway - take some time, tap your imagination, build your own fort and protect it from intruders.

Be Creative,

Lise

Style Points: Sharing your Home with the Younger Set.

I have always been fond of having visitors ever since I was very young. My parents and grandparents were effortless entertainers and I learned a lot about how to make guests feel at home from them. I know I spent hours lingering in the hallway just outside the kitchen listening to grown-up conversation and the sound of ice clinking in the bottom of the glasses. Just as a stream of visitors were always at my grandparents and my childhood home, I grew up wanting to have a home that people would want to return to over and over again. I've said before that lifestyle design is about styling homes around a style of life. Included in my genes is a love of entertaining, and therefore my home is designed for this purpose.

But while I have mastered many ideas on signature drinks and dinner menus for adults, I think there is a finer art for keeping children entertained, engaged, and comfortable in your home while you balance your time with your adult guests. Since you never know who may be dropping by your home, here are five tips to help you share your home with the youngsters...

• First, when you design your home and garden, design for all ages. This idea may sound strange for those who don't have school-aged children living at home. And you may understandably be less concerned about child-proofing, but that doesn't mean that childhood concerns should go out the window! For example, many beautiful gardens I have visited were at the homes of people without children. The gardens contained special plants and creative water features that were safe for kids to explore; and brought childhood whimsy and wonder to the adults too!
  
• Keep a supply of things that are safe for children to use. Save the crystal glasses for another time, and instead use colorful dishes and glasses that can stand some abuse. I love the melamine dishes and plastic glasses readily available during the summer months. When they go on sale, I buy them in loads, and use them year round.
  
• Make a game, puzzle, and art supply treasure chest that kids will love to explore. Certain games will always hold up better over time, like building blocks. But also include other crafty items, card games, watercolors paints, and paintbrush. These games can keep kids occupied for a good long while.
  
• Though my Aunt Belle's kids were all grown up when I used to visit her, I never complained about being bored knowing that she always had a pint of ice cream in her freezer for milk shakes. YUM. Take a tip from my Aunt and be sure to stock your pantry or freezer with a few snacks kids will love. (You may end up being the favorite aunt after all!) I can always count on ice pops, cookies, marshmallows and fresh fruit. Kids will usually like one or more, but when time allows, check with parents to address any allergy concerns. For meals, you may want to serve the same thing, or make a simpler version of what's on the adult menu.
  
• Overnight stays and vacationing guests present a new concern. What do you do to fill their time? Make their trip memorable by offering to do things that their busy parents don't have time to do. This summer, my visitors will be attending First Friday art openings; reading new books; exploring maps, local zoos, aquariums and museums; and taking all sorts of pictures. All things they can't readily duplicate at home.
  

Be Inspired,

Lise

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Telling Our Own Stories, Creatively!

My mom was the sort of person that really had fun with life. Among many other things, I learned to paint and draw from her, and I have always marveled at her gift for playing the piano - something I've never come close to mastering. I miss her creative spark. She never had a chance to meet my youngest two children and she missed out on a lot of special (and not so special) times in our lives. But I don't doubt that she would have thoroughly enjoyed most of the time over the last 9 years with her family. And I sometimes wonder what creative talent she would have encouraged my children to pursue. Although I work from my memories now, one way to keep her spirit going is through our family traditions - an oral history. I truly value these traditions passed on to me from my mother's and grandmother's generations.

So I shouldn't be amazed when everything comes full circle right? While I was busy working on my new suite of workshops, I really touched on this idea of a creative living history journal. In addition to inspiring people to live creatively, the workshop will help people capture those thoughts and feelings that aren't conveyed by scrapbooks and photo albums. This is an opportunity to make the time and pass on your ethics, values, your take on the meaning of life to your family - and do it creatively. If you don't write your story, who will?

Here's an excerpt about my new workshop from my website:

Creative Birthrights(tm) is designed to encourage families to slow down and participate in authentic dialogue and powerful creativity about your family history. It is attended by mothers and daughters; fathers and sons; sisters and brothers - any combination will do. In fact, it really doesn't matter if people are connected by lineage or lifelong friendships. I find that whatever the bond, you simply need to have a strong desire to share your life history through creative story-telling and artful activity. This is a transformative workshop. You will not leave unchanged. This fantastic workshop will lead you though several creative exercises where you will produce an heirloom-quality pictorial of your personal & family history which you will want to share with the people you love. You will leave the workshop with a journal full of funny, and poignant illustrations and witty text. But more importantly you will also be inspired to reconnect with the people you love and share ideas for an even richer family legacy.

So today, I encourage you to live creatively and share your knowledge so that when an old person dies, a library won't have to burn down completely.

Be Inspired & Be Well,

Lise

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Are you a workshop leader or creative professional that would benefit from licensing a creative workshop? Want to add another service to your business portfolio but don't have any time or desire to develop something new? My workshops are ideal for those in lifestyle professions. If you are seen as the expert in your field (or want to be seen as one), and you want to infuse fun and activity in into your business all while generating multiple streams of income at a low start up cost, send me an email to get started today!